Fantastic Stories prides itself on being open to under represented voices. Science fiction and fantasy should encompass the totality of the human experience, in all of its diversity and complexity. FantasticStories is determined to explore a more inclusive, realistic vision of the future. Currently, Fantastic Stories is a bimonthly webzine paying fifteen cents per word for original fiction. To increase the visibility of our outreach to diverse voices, we have decided to run special Take Over issues that feature under represented demographics. These Take over issues will run in the off months of our regular issues.

People of Color Take Over Issue

People of color have been publishing some of the highest quality Science Fiction and Fantasy since the genre’s earliest days. Yet, there still persists a perception that science fiction and fantasy is somehow a white field. We’d like to help shatter that illusion and showcase some of the finest writer’s that Science Fiction and Fantasy has to offer.

About the Kickstarter

We’ll be publishing a POC Take Over Flash Anthology, whether or not this Kickstarter funds, but you can help us make this project bigger and much more awesome! If we reach our stretch goals we will publish three POC Take Over issues.

As with our regular issues, The POC Take Over issue(s) will have at least two illustrated original stories and four (non-illustrated) reprint stories, as well as five review columns that will cover the spectrum of the science fiction and fantasy genre.

About Our Guest Editor

Nisi Shawl is a founder of the Carl Brandon Society and a member of Clarion West’s Board of Directors. She edits reviews for feminist literary quarterly The Cascadia Subduction Zone. Nisi Shawl has edited Bloodchildren: Stories by the Octavia E. Butler Scholars; and WisCon Chronicles 5: Writing and Racial Identity; she co-edited Strange Matings: Science Fiction, Feminism, African American Voices, and Octavia E. Butler; and Stories for Chip: A Tribute to Samuel R. Delany. With Cynthia Ward she coauthored the 2005 Tiptree Longlist book Writing the Other: A Practical Approach. Her story collection Filter House was a co-winner of the 2009 Tiptree Award. Her Belgian Congo steampunk novel Everfair has been garnering rave reviews from virtually every outlet that has reviewed it.

About the funding

All of the funds raised by this Kickstarter will be used on the POC Take Over issues. Any funds left over after that will be used on future issues of Fantastic Stories of the Imagination.

Stretch Goals

$7,500Story Upgrade: We will publish a third original story.

$14,0002nd POC Issue Upgrade: We will publish a second POC Take Over issue with three original stories. Everyone who pledged $10 or more will receive an electronic edition of this issue.

$17,500.00 Art Upgrade: We will commission illustrations for all reprint stories. Everyone who pledged $25.00 or more will receive wallpaper of all the illustration in the POC Take Over issues.

$25,000.00 3rd POC Issue Upgrade: We will publish a third POC Take Over issue, with three original stories and the illustrations for reprints. Everyone who pledged $10 or more will receive an electronic edition of this issue, and an e-anthology of 20 stories by people of color previously published by Fantastic Stories and its parent company, Wilder Publications.

$32,500 Podcast and Anthology Upgrade: We will produce podcasts of all of the original fiction (one per month), and a paperback anthology of the stories in all three POC Take Over issues. Everyone who pledged $50 or more will receive a paperback edition of the anthology.

$40,000 Anthology Upgrade: We will publish a hardcover anthology of all the stories in the three POC Take Over issues. Everyone who pledged $75 or more will receive a copy.

$50,000.00 Special POC Horror Issue Upgrade: We will publish an all horror issue. (Editor to be announced).

If all of these stretch goals are met we have some other cool ideas for additional stretch goals!